Lost in the Jungle
by SpyralHax
Summary: Zoro gets lost in the jungle, and decides to take a rest at a cool pond. But someone else is already there. First attempt at Zoro fic, so comments always welcome. Possible Zoro x Tashigi.


**Meeting at the Pond**

**rating: K**

**Pairing: possible Zoro x Tashigi**

**Wow. Long time since I updated at all. Anyway, as a sort of special attempt for my tenth story, I give you my first attempt at a Zoro-centric fic. I have no experience with this character, so hopefully it is not too OOC. I also must say, I owe a certain person a lot for getting me through this bit of dead patch. You know who you are, so I won't go into detail, but thanks a million for all the help.  
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**This time, Zoro gets lost (stunner) in the jungle, and comes across the person he least wanted to meet. As I wrote it, I sort of got a liking for this pairing, so I will probably give it some more attention in the future. Let me know what you all think of it.

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Looking around the thickly coated forest, Zoro let out a dissatisfied grunt. No town was in sight, and all he could see was the thick layer of trees in every direction. With a sigh, he ran his right hand agitatedly through his thick green hair, a vain attempt to relieve the frustration.

"Shit. Where am I now?" he asked himself, taking a few steps in a random direction. This was not the first time he had gotten lost, a fact that he lamented with great malice. He knew that the love cook would have a field day when he found out.

As he made his way through the humid patch of jungle, he had to occasionally duck underneath an overhanging branch, the trees almost consciously blocking his advance. Walking slowly through the thick growth, he felt sweat beginning to bead beneath his white shirt, the salty liquid seeping through the fabric.

His frustration began to grow exponentially, seemingly making no progress out of the thick forest. Times like this he truly hated his poor directional sense. Thinking back, it was extremely common for him to end up in a completely different destination than he had intended, a fact that the rest of his crewmates used to tease him at any occasion possible. Imagining the laughs of the love cook and the idiotic captain just increased his frustration.

Unsheathing one of his swords, he used it as a makeshift machete, chopping at the oddly thick growth, bits of fluid leaking from the falling debris. Teeth gritting together, he attempted to make his way out of the forest, choosing a random direction to follow, making sure to move in a straight line.

Slowly he trudged through the balmy jungle, sweat dripping from his face only adding to the frustration. He really envied Nami's impeccable sense of direction, Robin's ability to at least head in a proper direction, or even Luffy's seemingly endless confidence and energy. Especially the energy part. After seemingly hours walking, the green haired young man began to feel quite exhausted, as though the jungle had sapped all of his strength.

Stopping briefly, he scanned the jungle, looking for a good spot to set himself down for a mid afternoon nap. After an instant, he narrowed his eyes a bit, the sound of rushing water filling his senses. With a triumphant smirk, he made his way in the direction of the hopefully cool water, hoping to get the sweat washed from his body and clothes.

As he got closer to the waterfall, he thought he heard another familiar sound. One of steel clashing with stone. "Heh, seems someone found this spot before me." he spoke to himself, an odd smirk on his face as he imagined what kind of person it might be practicing their sword skills in such a place. Slowing his steps, his eyes widened a bit as he heard some distinctly female grunting, indicating that the swordsman was actually a swordswoman.

Realizing that it was a woman practicing swordsmanship in this seemingly remote area brought back unwanted memories from his past, and his promise to an old friend. Dark blue hair, swaying in a gentle breeze. Sword pointed squarely at his young face, following yet another humiliating defeat at the hands of the older girl. A flash, then a funeral procession, following the untimely death. The sadness seeped into his mind, amid the frustration of the circumstances.

'_How could such a skilled swordsman be killed in such a humiliating way?'_ he asked to himself, clenching his fists tightly as he imagined his childhood friend tripping on the single stone step, causing her untimely death. It was, even all these years later, a sore spot, something he could not comprehend.

Then he found his thoughts drifting to a certain Marine officer, those same dark locks, and cool eyes hidden behind the frame of her glasses. Zoro thought back to the first time he had met Tashigi, the feeling of shock at seeing her face for the first time. It had taken the wind out of him completely, leaving him in shock at seeing her. Sanji might have taken the feeling for a sort of "love at first sight", but it wasn't that. Zoro knew it was something else. The remarkably similar appearance to his old friend was just too much of a shock.

Learning that the lookalike was also studying the sword only added to his shock, thinking for a moment that maybe she was the girl he had been defeated by so often when he was younger. But the personality of this girl had been much different. A sweet, goofy personality, combined with clumsy actions and movements left a vastly different impression than the cool, composed, strong girl he had known.

The gears in his head continued to turn, a sudden realization coming to him. Approaching the waterfall, he made sure to hide his presence as well as he was able, hoping to get a good view of the layout. He found himself praying to whatever God might be listening that his fear had not come to pass. Peeling back a small bunch of leaves, he felt all the energy draining, a sudden rememberance of why he never prayed before.

There, in front of a small pond of clear, cold looking water, stood the object of his most intense agony. The thick, dark locks matted a bit with sweat, wiping gently at her forehead with a small beige towel. Her glasses sitting neatly on a large rock nearby, the girl sighed a contented breath, nodding at the results of her training.

Looking about the clearing, Zoro could see several shards of what were undoubtedly once boulders scattered about, the results of crisp, clean cuts. He had to hand it to the girl, she was indeed skilled with the sword. The man found himself wondering just how good she had gotten, a sudden urge to reveal himself and challenge the girl to a contest of the sword.

But he managed to keep the urge under control, watching the young woman with an odd sort of curiosity. '_Wait, why am I…?'_ he asked himself, his legs remaining locked in place as the young woman looked carefully around. '_What the hell is she do-!?'_ he began, his thoughts interrupted as the young woman began to unbutton her yellow hued shirt, the flowery designs fluttering as the thin garment began to loosen upon her shoulders.

Realizing that she was likely about to take a dip in the cool pool of water, Zoro found himself in an odd predicament. Something compelled him to stay and watch, oddly transfixed by the girl. Yet another part of him realized this was something more Sanji's style, and not something he should be doing. After a moment of struggle, he finally regained control of his body, attempting to turn and head in the opposite direction.

*crack* A loud snapping sound echoed throughout the otherwise silent jungle as his large feet fell upon a dry branch, cracking under his weight. '_Shit!'_ he thought, turning his head behind him as he hoped that somehow he had not been discovered. His eyes met hers, the pair fixed in place for a seeming eternity.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!" Tashigi's loud, shrill scream echoed throughout the jungle, nearly shattering the young man's eardrums. As she clutched back at her clothing, attempting to get the garments back on, Zoro decided that he had better make a break for it, his usual calm demeanor completely disappearing just when he needed it most. Figuring that she would likely be close on his trail otherwise, he ran as fast as he could, not bothering to pay any attention to where he was going.

After what seemed like an adequate time running through the thick jungle, Zoro stopped, hunching over briefly, planting his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. As he finally gained control over his breathing, an odd sound filled his senses, one sending a frustrating tick through his face. Lifting his head, he looked dead ahead, the girl he had been running from staring confusedly in his direction. Looking to the side, Zoro saw the same clear pool, waterfall draining off of the large cliff above as it emptied into the small pond.

"Shit…" he muttered to himself, his sense of direction failing him once again. In his rush to escape the jungle, and her usually irritating pursuit, he had taken a few wrong turns and ended up right where he had started.

"Roronoa Zoro! Stay right where you are!" the young woman's voice rang in his ears. He watched as the meitou Shigure pointed in his direction, its wielder attempting to hide her hesitation. Zoro smirked a bit to himself, noticing the look of near desperation on the young woman's face.

"Hoh? So you think you can defeat me?" he said in his most intimidating voice, hoping that it on its own would scare the girl. The desired effect showed, but not to the degree necessary for an escape. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, the frustration with the situation combined with the heat of the jungle wearing on him. Gathering herself into a fighting stance, she young woman waited for Zoro to draw his swords, swallowing a fearful breath as she reminisced on the unbelievable feats of strength Zoro and his fellow Straw Hats had accomplished.

"O-of course. I will arrest you today, and relieve your katanas of the burden of being wielded by such a selfish soul!" Her words rang in his head, her body becoming more sturdy as the fire in her soul washed away her fear. Seeing her determination, he could not help but be impressed, a smug grin crossing his roguish face. "W-what's so funny?" she asked incredulously, indignant at being the source of amusement to a pirate.

"Oh, it's nothing." he lied, not wanting to let his feelings be known to such a potentially annoying enemy. As he watched her stance, his smile faded, dropping into a sort of neutral scowl, memories of his departed friend flashing through his mind. "God damnit, why do you have to stand like that, with that face…" he muttered, hoping his voice had not carried the short distance to the young Marine.

"There's no need to insult me!" she responded, her grip on the katana tightening as she observed the supposedly vicious pirate. In all her encounters with pirates fighting with Smoker, she had come to despise them. They were all scoundrels, doing whatever they wanted with little to no concern for the people they harmed. No pirate ever thought twice about attacking innocent civilians, an act she found reprehensible.

But as she watched Zoro's gaze drift in a random direction, she caught what looked like a glimmer of… sadness. Feeling a small amount of compassion, the young woman loosened her guard just a bit, realizing her mistake just a moment too late. In a flash, the green haired swordsman had rushed over towards her, his Wado Ichimonji's sharp edge pressed carefully against the soft skin of her neck.

"I assume that settles that?" he asked, not looking her in the eyes as he spoke. Tashigi could only grit her teeth, awaiting the inevitable finishing blow. Eyes shut tightly, she listened to the subtle sounds of nature, the rushing water filling her senses. The young woman was surprised as she heard no cutting of flesh, instead replaced with a clicking of a katana into its sheath.

"W-what are you doing? You won, so why don't you finish me?" she asked, watching as Zoro made his way towards the small pond. Scooping a handful of the clear liquid into his hands, the green haired man drank down the life giving fluid. After the bit of water had been drunk, he let a small sound of satisfaction ring through the clearing, a contented smile on his face as he looked over at the young swordswoman.

"There's no need to kill you." he said simply, noticing her confused and almost hurt expression.

"Just because I'm a woman!?" she shouted, her sword shaking with the tightness of her grip. Zoro could only stare at her, sympathizing with the frustration of being so helpless before an opponent.

"That has nothing to do with it." he responded, sitting upon a large rock next to the pond of water. He watched the expression of the young woman switch to complete confusion, wondering what it was then that prevented him from finishing her. With a sigh, he removed his three katanas from his sash, setting them on the ground next to him.

As they settled against his leg, clacking against the large rock, he noticed the girl's face light up as she quickly made her way towards the man.

"T-this is…" she said, stuttering as she whipped the small book of katanas out of her purple coat, flipping quickly through the pages. Finding the desired page, she simply gasped in surprise, looking intently at the katana. Without even thinking, she grabbed the black blade, drawing it from its scabbard. The woman looked at the unique blade, noting how heavy it felt in her hands. "One of the '21 Great Edges', the sword used by the legendary samurai Ryuuma. Shuusui."

Zoro felt himself a little annoyed at this bit of otaku behavior, hoping to that same jerk God that she would not start another fight over this.

"I never thought you would be capable of something like this…" she spoke, an odd trembling on her voice as she did.

"Hah?" he asked, wondering what she was talking about. "What the hell do you mean?" Zoro really had no idea what this girl was thinking. He felt himself straighten up as she stared intensely at him.

"I thought you were at least an honorable samurai, but to think you would resort to grave robbing!" At this, Zoro felt all his tension come to the forefront at once, his face dropping into an angry, shark looking appearance.

"What the hell makes you think I would do something like that!?" he yelled, vein popping on his forehead as he watched the woman stand up, staring directly in his eyes as she continued.

"This sword belongs to the great samurai Ryuuma, from the Wano Country in the New World. He died long ago, so the only way you could get it is by stealing it from his grave!" As the woman shouted at him, her indignation coating each syllable, Zoro sighed in frustration, unable to handle such a wild accusation.

"If you are so concerned about it, why don't you ask your buddies in the World Government about that, especially that giant gecko, Moria?" It was Tashigi's turn to be confused, wondering what he meant by that.

Somehow, Zoro ended up recounting the tale of what he had gone through at Thriller Bark, noticing the young woman's intense glare as he spoke. From the stolen shadows, to the legendary samurai's body, the young woman looked completely shocked that such things could possibly happen.

"So, basically, you were right, but I didn't steal it. I defeated him, or actually his body, and took the sword as a… souvenir." As he finished the tale, the girl had begun to droop deeply, clearly shaken by the story.

He watched, letting the emotion drain from his features as the young woman gently sobbed, the sniffles echoing through the open clearing. Something inside of him resounded deeply, a twinge of what he figured to be sympathy. Leaning back, he looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by without a care in the world.

"You know…" he began, interrupting the sobbing briefly as the young woman slowly lifted her gaze to the infamous pirate. "You know, if you don't like it, then you should do something about it." A startled and surprised gasp from the young woman, brought Zoro's hard gaze back to earth, focusing intently on the young Marine.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, barely able to fight back the tears as her voice broke ever so slightly.

"If you're not happy with how things are, then change them." he answered simply, as though the thought had not occurred to her.

"There's no way I could do that…" she responded, dejected by her own weakness on the important stage upon which she had set herself.

"Then you'll never accomplish that silly goal of yours, either." Zoro spoke, prodding the girl's sore spot quite measuredly, a skill he had developed from all his bickering with the Straw Hats' cook.

"What's sop silly about it?" she asked, seemingly forgetting her depression momentarily.

"Heh. That's more like how a swordsman should act." Zoro answered, smirking confidently as he stood from the large boulder. Walking towards the young woman, he kept his gaze locked on her, capturing her deep, dark eyes with his own. Squatting down in front of her, he watched her face light up a bright shade of red as his own came closer. "If you don't like how the world works, then there are two options."

As he spoke, Tashigi found herself feeling quite heated, a feeling as though steam would burst from her at any moment. She found herself attempting to scoot away from the young man in front of her, to get into an attack position to strike at the villainous pirate. But she felt no movement come, her body stuck in its position simply listening to the gruff voice from the man in front of her.

"If the government pisses you off, then you just have to follow your own path. If your justice is strong, then you have to follow it. Right?" Finishing his small speech, Zoro stood up quickly, gathering the three katanas back in his sash, waving gently at the young Marine officer as he made his way across the clearing.

"W-wait!" her soft voice rang in the clearing, drawing his attention back to her. Not even turning around, Zoro listened carefully to what the young woman might have to say, ready to defend himself if the need should arise. "I can't stand the thought that I have been supporting such horrible acts…" he scoffed a bit at the timidity in her voice, wondering if his words had reached her at all. "But…"

Tashigi could not find her words very easily, feeling as though she was close to tears as a result of all the turmoil boiling inside of her. The thought of supporting a government that gave its tacit approval for such heinous acts was appalling to her, as was the thought that this infamous pirate was trying to… console her. '_Is that even possible?'_ she wondered as she gathered her words.

"But… I will not accept that. I'll do what I have to in order to follow my justice, and bring all the villains of the world to their judgement." As she spoke, an odd sort of confidence overcame her, washing away all her doubts once again. She felt like she owed that to the companion of Monkey D. Luffy, but she would never be able to tell him that. "So, I will get stronger, then I will be sure to liberate those legendary katanas from you."

As she finished, Zoro felt himself laughing quite heartily, imagining a determined face on the young woman. "Ah. I'll be looking forward to that." he offered, leaving an open challenge for her as he headed once more for the jungle. "But you'll have to get a lot stronger to defeat the strongest swordsman in the world." he spoke, shocking the young military officer with the declaration of his goal.

Tashigi watched as the young man disappeared into the thick bush of the jungle. From her few encounters with the Straw Hats, and the lengthening list of their accomplishments, she knew it was fully well possible that Zoro could become the strongest swordsman in the world. "I guess I will have to train even harder." she said to herself, straightening her clothes as she stood, heading into the jungle the opposite direction from where Zoro had gone.

With a bit of luck, Zoro made his way back to the ship in relatively quick time. But as expected, the rest of the crew were already on board, a thought that did not even faze the young samurai.

"Ah, look what finally came in? The marimo must have gotten lost." Sanji spoke as Zoro leapt up onto the deck. With a confident smirk, Zoro simply passed the cook, leaving a mild shock on the whole crew.

"W-what was that?" Nami asked, standing next to the lanky blonde.

"Who knows. That guy is hard to read." he answered, taking a long puff of his cigarette. The crew watched as Zoro made his way towards his usual napping spot next to the ship's mast.

With an odd sort of smile on his face, he set his back against the hard wooden structure, eyes focusing on the passing clouds. As his mind began to drift, he felt a sense of satisfaction, imagining the clumsy girl doing some kind of harsh training to catch up to him.

"This will be fun." he whispered to himself, finding himself looking forward to their next meeting. "Hope she gets stronger. I'm sure _she_ would want that too." Thoughts of a deceased friend, and a promise filled his head as sleep overtook the young man. But this sleep would be filled with something other than dreams of defeating Mihawk, or of his childhood friend.

Now he found himself dreaming of a young Marine officer, and he found the experience unexpectedly enjoyable.

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**Aww, Zoro and Tashigi are so cute together, neh? The clumsy girl and the rough pirate. Quite nice in a sort of "opposites attract" kind of way. Anyway, that was my first attempt with Zoro, so feel free to let me know how to improve with it. **

**Also, I hope to be able to update some of my other stories soon, so for those of you who enjoy those, look forward to that.  
**


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